Intermittent Fasting – What is it?

During church on Sunday, there was a discussion about world hunger, and how Lenten fasting can shed a little light on the huge number of people facing starvation. It got me thinking about how we could all benefit from consuming a little less. We sometimes take our abundance of food for granted in the United States and many people don’t really know what it feels like to be truly hungry. As a whole, I think we are an overfed but undernourished nation. I believe most people would benefit from eating a LOT healthier, and also less.

If you were to eat less, there are three ways you might do that:

1. Do Intermittent fasting (IF)
2. Practice portion control
3. Do a Detox or an elimination diet (Mine starts April 24th!)

Intermittent Fasting is getting more and more publicity, so I’ll address this today, and then write up a Part 2 about Portion Control and Seasonal Detox next week.

Fasting is not a new concept.

People have been fasting for religious and spiritual reasons for eons. Fasting for health reasons used to be considered a bit extreme, but lately the concept of Intermittent Fasting has gained a stronger following.  It’s no wonder, with the many benefits the practice offers, from lowering the “hunger hormone” to reduce overeating, to lowering insulin levels, increasing energy by burning stored fat, and lowering risk of chronic diseases.

So what is Intermittent Fasting?

Intermittent Fasting (IF) is really more of an eating schedule than a diet. What you eat isn’t as important as when you eat it. I would argue that what you eat is ALWAYS important; but IF focusses more on the health benefits that come with distinct, scheduled periods of eating and fasting. There are lots of different ways to schedule your fasting time. There isn’t a LOT of research on IF and sustained weight loss yet, but many people are reporting that it works for them. It will take some trial and error to find one that works best for you.

The 16/8

I’ve found that fasting at night works best for me. This is called 16/8. A typical day would involve eating between 12:00 pm and 8:00 pm, which gives you a 16-hour fasting period and an 8-hour window for eating. Because the majority of your fasting time is while you’re sleeping, lots of people find this to be the easiest way to get started. I do try to do this a few days each week. However, I do use the ‘legal cheat’ which  is to have a cup of coffee with MCT oil and butter in the morning to give my brain the fuel it needs and to prevent hypoglycemia (which I can be prone to if I haven’t been careful about keeping sugar and grain carbs at a minimum in my diet).

The 5/2

Another popular IF method is to limit yourself to 500 calories, two days a week. On the other five days, you would eat normally. If you decide to try this method, be sure to choose two non-consecutive days (Tuesday and Thursday, for example). And the other important guideline is not to go crazy on your regular eating days. Over-eating and poor food choices on your normal days negates any benefits of fasting!

24-hour fasts

Probably the most difficult IF method is keeping your fast for a full 24 hours one or two times a week. This would mean eating one meal (say, breakfast), and fasting until that same meal the next day. I don’t recommend this for most women as it could lead to hormonal imbalance and fertility issues.

What about the Many Small Meals Theory?

Now, I realize many of you might be worried about losing muscle or ruining your metabolism using this method. After all, we’ve been told that eating many small meals throughout the day will speed up metabolism, and that breakfast is the most important meal of the day. That may not be completely true, from a weight loss standpoint. Each time you eat, that food becomes an easily-accessible energy source. Immediately after eating, your body automatically starts burning that meal instead of stored fat. If you’re eating frequently, your body doesn’t need those fat reserves, so it may actually prove harder for you to lose weight.  When you fast, though, there is no easy source of energy…your body is forced to use stored fat, causing you to lose weight in the process. Muscle wasting is a greater concern during extended periods of calorie restriction.

Be careful: Fasting is not for everyone.

Eating healthy whole foods is the first step to weight loss, muscle toning and more even energy levels. Kids, teens, and pregnant/nursing women need consistent nutrition to support healthy growth, and won’t benefit from fasting. Also, if you’re dealing with  anxiety or sleep disturbances, I don’t recommend fasting as it could make it worse.  As always, best practice is to consult with your doctor before you make a significant change in your exercise/eating habits.

Change for Change’s Sake

I think that for most people, it’s healthy to experiment with different ways of eating. Sometimes we get too set in our ways and do things out of habit and don’t really question it. Or we fall into bad habits because we get bored by the way we’re eating. And our bodies change and have different needs at different stages. By examining the way we eat and trying something different, we learn how our bodies respond to different foods and different ways of eating. We all have bio individuality, which means that even though something works for me it may not work for you. So mix it up. It’s just food. You’re not experimenting with pharmaceutical drugs! In fact, when I was in nutrition school our homework often involved switching up our diet to see how it felt for US.

Curious?

If you decide to try an Intermittent Fasting technique, remember to eat a diet full of nutrient-rich, whole foods. While there’s nothing wrong with a treat here and there, I’m particularly fond of the Pegan way of eating which combines the principles of veganism and paleo into one. Here’s a little more information on that: here and here.

And if you want to talk it through – I’d be happy to share what I’ve learned, and what I’ve experienced with Intermittent Fasting! Email me and we’ll schedule a consultation.

Here’s some more information on Intermittent Fasting. I found lots of great tips in the following articles:

Intermittent Fasting Guide

Dr Northrup.com: Benefits-of-intermittent-fasting

Infographics: intermittent-fasting

and this book

The Obesity Code: Unlocking the Secrets of Weight Loss

Here’s to your continued good health!
Linda